R4 Alliance – Member Highlight
Higher Ground
Meet Thomas. A veteran of the US Armed Forces who suffers from symptoms of post-traumatic stress, Thomas attended a Higher Ground military program in January 2016. Thomas was not in a significant relationship at the time, so participated in a weeklong program for single male veterans and was invited to bring a supporter, as all Higher Ground participants are asked to do in order to provide a more comfortable entry into the program and help ease anxiety leading up to the event. Thomas asked a close friend and fellow veteran to accompany him; just a week before the Higher Ground program, however, his friend had a medical emergency and was forced to decline the invitation. This left Thomas without a support person, and therefore with significant anxiety as he prepared to make the trip to Idaho to meet 14 participants and several staff members unknown to him.
Once Thomas arrived in Sun Valley, he realized that several other participants were attending without supporters, so he immediately felt connected to them and comfortable in his surroundings. He fit in perfectly with the group, and often had the whole crew laughing.
During the week, Thomas reflected on his military background and how it may be able to translate into the civilian world when he is finished with is service. He identified the impact that recreation can have in his life, and ways to transfer what he learned during the week back home with him. Thomas told us, “While the goal of the trip was to have fun and decompress, the HG staff made sure to drive the point home that once the trip was over, we could still have that same fun when we got back to our regular daily lives. Something I had never thought of, so having someone tell me that helped me tremendously.”
Thomas formed connections with other veterans who have similar backgrounds and explained to us what the trip did for him. “I felt completely at ease, stress free, and symptom free during the trip. I do not believe I experienced one negative thought or action the entire time I was there. Pretty amazing considering the fact that everyone I met there was a complete stranger at first. HG did a good job breaking the ice for us all.” The ice was definitely broken with this particular group; the bonds were clearly expressed through thoughtful discussions, laughter, and bonding throughout the week.
At Higher Ground, we enhance quality of life through inclusive therapeutic recreation, education, and adaptive sports for people of all abilities. We provide year-round programs for individuals of all ages with physical, cognitive, and intellectual disabilities; we offer therapeutic activities for kids, teens, and adults through our Recreation department. Our Military program, established in 2005, provides the most effective adaptive sports and therapeutic recreation services to veterans confronted with traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress (PTS), military sexual trauma (MST), and polytrauma through the use of evidence-based practices and the sustained continuum of care necessary for a successful reintegration into families and home communities.
The Higher Ground Military Program goals address the needs of military families facing the physical and mental challenges associated with war-related injuries through a recreation-based program rooted in sustainable therapeutic impact. These programs strategically combine outdoor recreation activities with therapeutic processes to help all participants – veterans and their supporters – confront current struggles and develop skills to find success in daily life. In its application through the HG Military Programs, staff and volunteers regularly witness the power of therapeutic recreation as a mode of delivery, especially in its execution in outdoor adventure settings. Social stigma, injury-related fears, or chronic issues commonly prevent wounded veterans from seeking treatment post-injury, but through the context of outdoor recreation, as opposed to conventional clinical settings, veterans who attend Higher Ground programs are more likely to receive help and find success on the road to reintegration and recovery.
The HG program focuses on the whole family in order to mitigate potential multi-generational effects of the initial injury to the veteran, and help all family members rediscover their potential to be positive, contributing members of society. War injuries – especially those “invisible,” cognitive wounds – place unprecedented stress on spouses and children in military families, in addition to the veterans, but treatment for the family unit is typically ostensibly overlooked. The numbers of men and women returning home from current conflicts with these signature wounds of PTS, TBI, and MST are staggering, and HG programming is poised to benefit not only the individuals, but the families affected.
Once home after the multi-day program, HG is committed to following up with each veteran for a minimum of three years, conducting regular assessments to determine the sustainability of their progress as the reintegration process continues in their home communities. Additionally, HG allocates a budget for each participant who attends a program; these funds are restricted to provide recreation services or equipment in order for the participants to continue the positive momentum once home. Examples of past reintegration purchases include family gym memberships, bicycles, kayaks, and fly fishing gear.
At Higher Ground Sun Valley (HG), we enhance quality of life through inclusive therapeutic recreation and education for people of all abilities.
http://www.highergroundsv.org/
